Knit fabric.



M. C. MILLER.

KNIT FABRIC. 7 APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11 1913.

Patented Dec. 26,1916.

10 SHEETS-SHEET WITNESS M. C. MILLER.

KNIT FABRIC.

APPUCATION FILED AUG-11,1913;

Patented De0..26,1916'.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYQ M. C. MILLER.

KNIT FABRIC. APPLICATION FILED AUG.H,.1913. 1 210,344. Patented Dec.26,1916. r 10 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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M. C. MILLER.

KNIT'FABRIC.

- APPLICATION FlLl- ZD AUG. 11. 1913.

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APPLICATION HLED AUG. 11, 1913. 1,210,344, Patented Dec. 26,1916. a i n10 SHEETS-SHFET e.

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M. C. MILLER.

KNIT FABRIC.

n APPLICATION nuzn AUG. n. 1913. 1,210,344, Patented Dec. 26,1916.

. l0 suns-sham 1.

INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

M. C. MILLER.

KNIT FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-N11913- 1 210 344, Patented Dec. 26,1916.

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M. G. MILLER.

KNIT FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.11. 191s. 1,210,344. Patented Dec. 26,1916.

. INSHEETS-SHEET 9.

WITNESSES- INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

mix 0, 11mm, or rnovnanncn, more ISLAND, nssreivon 'ro .rnncxns KNITTINGISLAND.

State of Rhode Island, have invented certain I new and 'useful Improvements in Knit Fabrics; and I do hereby declare the following tobea full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same. I The invention relatesto a welted knit fabricand method ofmaking the same.

The object of the invention is to" provide a novel and improved weltedfabric in which the turned edge of the welt is integrally united withthe body fabric, and in' which the welt may be knit and secured to thebody fabric at thecompletion of the stocking or other fabric in whichthe welt is incorporated;

' 7 It is a further object of the invention to provide a knit stockinghaving a closed the and integrally united welt which may be completedbya continuous knitting operation, thereby avoiding the necessity forsubsequent looping or sewing operations to close I the toe or secure theedge of the welt to the body fabric of the leg.

To these ends the invention consists In the methods and the fabricsproduced-thereby hereinafter described and referredto in the claiins. j

, The features of the invention will readily understood from aninspection of the accompanying drawings and the following detaileddescription of the fabric and devices illustrated, and of the methodoffmanipulat 2 is a sectional view through the inturned' ing the devicesto produce the fabric.

In the drawings, Figure ,1 is a view showing a stocking embodyingall thefeatures of the invention in their preferred forms; Fig.

welt at the top ofthe "stocking leg, taken on the line 22, Fig.1; Fig. 3is a vertical section'al view on line 33, 2; Figs. 4 to 16 are a, seriesof diagrammatic views showing,

the Inethodof forming a "series of welt attaching loops about the legofa stocking on a spring-needle, two-bank straight knitting machine; Figs.17 to35 are a seriesof diagrammes views "showing the method oforniing'the juncture between the edge of the welt fabric and the bodyfabric on the same machine; and Figs. 36 and 37 are views xnrr FABRIC,

7, showing the on: the needles of both MACHINE COMPANY, OF PAWTUGKET,RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF BHODE juncture between the welt and bodyfabrics; a i

- Two-bank straight knitting machines are well adapted for and haveheretofore been used for knitting closed toe stockings either with orwithout fashioned'feet or fashioned atented Dec. 26,1916.

legs, and the welt and stocking of the present Y invention may be knitwith commercial advantageupon machines of this type. Inknittlng astocking embodying all the features of the invention in their-preferredform upon a two-bank straight knitting machine, thetoe, foot, heelandleg may be knit.

in theusualmanner, as on themachine of the Nelson Patent N01 585,589 Asetting-11p course is formedon both'banks of needles, the loopsindicated at m-w, Fig. 1, being formed on the front bank, and the loopsindicated at y-y bein formed bank. The front ba kis knit manner.

on the back then operated to When the toe is completed, the

,75 v the toe pouch or pocket T in the usual front bank holds the seriesof loops indicated at ww along onefside of thefabric, while v v theloops y-g along theother side 'of the fabric are still held by the backbank. -The tubular fabric (either fashioned or unfash-- ione'd) formingthe foot F is then knit on both banks. The heel H is then knit on a partof the needles at one end of eachbank in the usual manner, after whichthe leg L is banks,.nedles at the heel ends of the banks being added inthe 1 usual manner if a fashioned leg is to In knitting the weltedfabric ofthe pres} ent invention, when the fpoint ,w the leg ofthestocking or other brie is reached, at which the uncture between the weltand body of the fabric is to be subsequentlyformed, a series of weltattachin" loops are formed which extend about the Ia which are to beinterlocked with loo s formed at the edgeofthe welt after the we tfabric has been knit; In the preferred fabric these welt attaching;loops are formed in each needle mile, and the loops in adjacent walesare formed in'su'cceedin'g courses, al-

though this arrangement of loops is not essential.

" In knitting the stocking or other fabric bricyand on a two bankstraightinachine, the welt attaching loops maybe formed and held andsubsequently transferred to the needle, by a v series of loop retainerscorresponding In number to the number of welt attaching ,,the* referredfabric, the machine will be loop retaining hooks 2 and ,with' loopprovided with a loop retainer corresponding to each needle in themachine. .The loop retainers 1 illustrated in the drawings area formedof two contacting strips of sheet metal, and are'provided at their endswith guiding fingers 3. The strips forming t e loop retainers are bentoutward back of the hooks 3 to form eyes 4 for the passage of theneedles, and the hook ends of the strips may spring apart to allow theneedle to pass laterally between them. These devices are mounted so thatthey may be moved in the manner to be described, and maybe actuated byany suitable mechanism.

When-the series of welt attaching loops are to be,formed, thelooporetainers 1 are moved forward from their inactive retractedposition into the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 4, the loopretainers corresponding to each bank of needles lying within the needlesand outside of-jthe fabric as indicated. Assuming that the needles 5 ofthe front bank have been drawn down to draw their loops, as indicated inFig. 4., the center loop retainer 1 will be advanced into the positionindicated in dotted lines, and will then be thrust upward through a loopa back of the long loop 0 last drawn by the center needle ofthe-frontbank, as indicated in Fig. 5. All the needles in the front bank with theexception of the-center needle 5 will then be raised in the .usualmanner to receive the yarn, and the yarn will belaid aboutthe needles bytheusual yarn guide and the reciprocating sinkers 6., The yarn will alsobe laid by the'sinkers about the loop retaining hook 1, whichcorresponds at this time to the'center needle 5, certain of the sinkersbeing operated to measure off-yarn to form the long loops referred tolater, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 8. The needles will then be drawndown to draw the yarn through the loops and cast off the loops in theusual manner, the loop retainer 1 at the same time being drawn downthrough the loop a. to draw a welt attaching loop 6 through the loop ato the outside of the fabric (Fig. 6). The arrangement of the loops inthe fabric at this stage is indicated in Fig. 9, there being a certainamount of slack am in the loops 0"0 on opposite sides 0 the centerneedle, 50 that these loops become long loops, as indicated more clearlyin Fig. 11. A welt attachin loo ner in nittmg upon the back bank" ofneedles. After the needles of the front bank have been drawn down asdescribed, the two loop retainers on opposite sides of the centerretainer are advanced and thrust through the loops a back of the longloops c-c which were drawn by the corresponding needle 5.

' I The yarn is then laid about the needles and is formed in a similarmanthese two loop. retainers by the sinkers, certain of the sinkersbeing operated to form long loops, as indicated inFig. 10. The

needles are then drawn down to draw their loops and the loop 3 retainersare drawn through the loops at to draw the welt attaching loops 6through the loops or and to the outside of the fabric. The arrangementof the loops and the fabric at this stage is indicated in Fig. 11. Thesame operation is repeated in knittinglupon the back bank. In

knitting the succeeding course upon each indicated in Fig. 14, and thewelt attaching loops 1) are formed as indicated in Fig. 15. Theoperation described continues until all the loop retainers have beenactuated to form the welt attaching loops, the arrangement of the loopsafter the forming of all the welt attaching loo s being indicated inFig. 16. As here,ind1cated, the loops will extend in angularly arrangedseries from the center needle walescof the front and back banks to theend needle wales of each bank. At this'stage of the knitting-the loopretainers will each hold in its hook a welt at-' taching loop which hasbeen drawn through a loop in the fabric directly back of one of the longloops 0. The needles. are then operated iii the usual manner to knit thefabric which is to form the welt. During the knitting of this fabric theloop retainers 1 will be moved back so that the fabric may After thelengthof fabric required to the long loops over the Welt retainingloops' 6. This will bring the welt securing loops 6 to the inside of thefabric, and will also bring them .into register with the eyes 4 of theloop retainers 1. During the continued knitting of the fabric, end orselvage loops at the edge of the welt are drawn through each of-the weltattaching loops, and these selvage loops are knit intothe fabric,preferably being knit into the-adjacent needle wale, thus integrallyuniting the turned-in edge of the welt with the body fabric. In thepreferred fabric, each selvage loop drawn through a welt attaching loopis knit in or secured to the adjacent needle wale by .105 hang downbetween .theneedles and the series of loop retainers, as indicated inFigs.

- the selvage which is drawn through the welt attaching loop ofthatneedle'wale.

In knitting the fabric in the manner illustrated, a selvage loop isdrawn through a welt attaching loop during the. knitting of each course,and is transferred to the next adjacent needle which during the knittingretainers, and are provided with loop engaging hooks 8 and with eyes 9back of the hooks'through which the needles may pass.

The mode of operation in'finishing and se- V clear the upper end of theneedle bed,

curing the welt is as follows: After the last course of. continuoustubular knitting is reached, the loop retainers at either end of thefront bank are moved forward over. the

ends of the end needles bringing the eyesl; and the welt attaching loops6 into position over the upper ends of the needles. The needles thenrise, the end needles passing up through the eyes of the loopretainersand throu h the loops 5 carried by the retainers, as in icatedin Figs. 20 and 23. The end loop retainers then withdraw through theloops 6 and a into their full retracted posi tion, leaving the loop 6 onthe needle, as indicated in Fig. 24. The yarn guide then lays the yarnacross the front bank of needles, and the yarn is looped about theneedles by the sinkers in the usual manner, as indicated in Figs. 21 and25. The needles are then drawn down to draw the new loops through theloops on the needles, a selvage loop d n being drawn by each of the endneedles of the front bank through the welt attaching loop 6 and throughthe loop e of the previous course, as indicated in Fig. 26. The end loopretainers and needlesv of the back bank are then operated in a similarmanner, the yarn guide acting to lay theyarn across the needles intheusual manner. From this point on in the knitting of the fabric theyarnguide which'has operated to deliver 'the yarn to both the front andback needles is reciprbcated back and forth to deliver yarn to theneedles of the back bank only, while an additional yarn guide isemployed to deliver yarn to the needles of the front bank, the two yarnguides beingreciprocated back and forth alternately, and the needles ofeach bank being operated toknit two courses in succession. After theselvage loops (1, have been drawn by the end needles of the front andback banks, these loops are trans ferred to the adjacent needles towardthe centers of thebanks, and the end needles are thrown out of action.The loops d are they pass between these strips.

thus transferred by the transferfihgers -L WhlCll are arranged atopposite ends of each bank of needles and'travel step bystep toward thecenter needles during the knitting of successive courses.

loops d, as indicated in Fig. 22. The and needles are then raised,passing up through the loops (1 and through the eyes of the transferfingers, These needles are then drawn down, their beards being closed,by the beard pressers as indicated in Fig. 27.

10, so that the loops of are cast ofi the needles and transferred to thebooks 8 of the transfer fingers, as indicated in Fig. 28. The transferfingers are then raised slightly to are moved laterally into positionover the adjacent needles toward the center of the bank, and are thenmoved downward to carry their hooks into the loops held by theseneedles,. which-are now the end needles of .the active series, since theneedles from which the loops d were taken remain out of action duringthe continuation of the knitting. Fig. 31 indicates the position of theloop d, the transfer fingers being omitted.' The loop retainers 1corresponding to these end needles now move forward over the upper endsof the needles to bring their welt attaching loops. 7) into positionover the needles, as indicated in Fig. 29. In coming into this position,the strips of the, loop retainers may pass between or outside of thestrips of the transfer fingers. As shown,

bank of needles is then raised, the .end needles passing up through theselvage loops (l and through the Welt attaching loops 6, as indicated inFigs. 30 and 32. The loop retainers and transfer fingers are then with'drawn, the plates of the fingers springing outward to allow them topasson opposite sides of the needle. The loops 6 and d car.- ried by'thetransfer fingers and loop re-. tainers are thus transferred to' the endneedles, as indicated in Figs. 30, 33 and 34.

The yarn is then laid along the needles and looped about the needles bythe sinkers, as indicated in Figs. 30 and 34, after which the needlesare drawn down to draw the new loops of yarn. In drawing these loops'of; yarn, the. end needles draw selvage loops through the weltattaching loops 5 of their own wales, through the selvage loop 03 of theadjacent wal'e, and through the loop 6 formed by the needle in knittingthe preceding course (Fig. 35). These selvage loops are transferred tothe next ad jacent needles toward the center of the The front and aseries, and are knit into the fabric in knit;- ting the next succeedingcourse, in the manner already described with reference to the first.formed selvage loops. The same aetion takes place on the rear bank, andtheknitting on the front and rear banks con tinues, the series of activeneedles in each.

bank being reduced by two. in successive courses until'the center needleis reached. In transferring the selvage loops at from the needles onopposite sides of the center needle to this needle, the selvage loop onone side and the welt attaching loop are transferred to the needle inthe manner alreadyv described. The needle is then drawn down,

its beard remainin open so that the loops are not cast 0 and thetransfer finger 7 carries the selv-age loop (1 on the opposite 'side' ofthe needle into position above the needle. The needle is then raisedthrough --this selvage loop, and the transfer finger withdrawn, leavingthe selva'geloop on the needle. The yarn is then laid across thetied orfastened in any suitable manner, as

indicated in Fig. 37

' 1 This application relates'to the same general subject matter as isdisclosed in applicants copending application Ser; No. 784,-

235, filed Aug. 11, 1913.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, andspecifically described one form thereof, what is claimed is 1. Astocking comprising an integrally I knit closed toe and a turned welt,the end or selvage loops of which are integrally united with the body ofthe leg.

2. A stocking comprising an integrally knit closed toe and a weltintegrally united with the body of the leg and having its selvageloopsinterlockedwith each other.

3. A stockingcomprising an integrally knit closed toe and a welt, theselvage loops 'of which are interlocked with loops in th leg fabric andwith each other.

LA knit fabric having a turned 'weltintegrally connected with the bodyweb by loops which pass through loopsin the body wales and. are unitedtoadjacent wales.

5. A knit fabric having aturned welt integrally united with larjuncture.

'6. A knit. fabric comprising a body welt having angularly arrangedseries of welt attaching loops and a welt web, the end loops of whichpass through the attaching (loops and are secured to the fabric.

7. A knit fabric having a turned welt conthe body web by an angunectedto the body web by welt attaching loops in each needle wale, the loopsin adjacent wales being in, succeeding courses.

8. A knit fabric comprising a body web having a welt attaching loop inone or more center wales and 'welt attaching loops in succeeding courseson opposite sides of the centerwale and a progressivelyincreasing numberof wales from the center wale, and a welt having-Qloops of its walespassed through a welt attachin loopa-nd through a loop of an adjacent wae.

r 9. A knit fabric comprising body web having -a welt attaching loop inone or more center wales and welt attaching loops in succeeding courseson'opposite sides of the center wale and a progressively increasingnumber of wales from the center wale, and a welt having loopsinterlocked with the attaching loops and with loops of adjacent wales.

10. The method. of knitting a stocking which consists in knitting aclosed toe, foot, heel and leg, forming a-series of welt attaching loopsin the body of the leg, knitting a welt'web, and passing loops of thewelt fabric through the welt attaching loops and'securing the selvageloops of the welt fabric. i

11. The method of knitting a stocking which consists in knitting aclosed toe, foot, heel and leg, forming a series of welt attaching loopsin the body of the leg, knitting a welt web, passing loops of the weltfabric through the welt attaching loops, and intgrlocking theselvageloops of the welt we 12. The method of knitting a stocking whichconsists in knitting a closed toe, foot, heel and leg, forming a seriesof welt attaching loops in the body of the leg, knitting a welt web,passing the selvage loops of thewelt web through the attached loops, andinterlocking the selvage loops.

13. The method of knitting a welted fabric which consists in knittingabody web,

forming a. series. of welt attaching loops, knitting a length of webbeyond the loops, and uniting the selvage or end loops of the latter webwith the loops.

14. The method. of knitting awelted fabric which consists in knitting abody web and a welt web, discontinuing wales in successive courses ofthe welt' web, and uniting.

the end loops of the discontinued wales with the body web. Y

16. The method of knitting a welted fabric which consists in knitting abody web,

fabric which consists in knitting a body web,

forming welt attaching loops in each needle Wale, the loops in adjacentwales being formed in succeeding courses, knitting a welt web,discontinuing wales in successive courses of the welt web, passing theloops of the discontinued wales through welt attaching loops, andsecuring them in the fabric.

17. The method of knitting a welted fabric which consists in knitting abody web, forming welt attaching loops in each needle wale, the loops inadjacent wales being formed in succeeding courses, knitting a welt web,discontinuing wales in succeeding courses of the welt web, and passingthe end loops of each discontinued wale through a welt attaching 100 andthrough the end loop of another wa e.

18. The method of forming securing loops in a knit fabric which consistsin knitting courses upon a series of needles to form a web, passing loopretainers through loops in a course preceding that held by the needles,drawing loops for the loop retainers, and thereafter continuing theknitting upon the needles.

19. The method of knitting a welted fabric which consists in knitting atubular web on two banks of needles, passing loop retainers throughloops of the fabric, drawing loops by the loop retainers, continuing theknitting on the needles, transferring the loops from the loop retainersto the needles, drawing loops through the transferred loops and throughthe loops last drawn by the needles, and transferring these loops toadjacent needles.

MAX 0. MILLER.

lVitnesses N. D. MCPHAIL, E. A. CHENEY.

Itja hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,210,344, grantedDecember 26, 1916, upon the application of Max 0. Miller, of Providence,Rhode Island, for an improvement in Knit Fabrics, errors appear in theprinted specification requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 115,claim 13, before the word "loope insert the words welt Ming; same page,line 121, claim 14, strike out the words "and welt attachihg and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in $110 PatentOffice.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of February, A. 11, 1917.

R. F. WHITEHEAD,

Acting Commilfldflfl' fPatenll.

[nan]

